Black Sun Empire Dark Energetic & Beautiful Dubstep for On!Fest

Black Sun Empire is a dynamic Dutch DJ trio that brings drum & bass music to the audience like no other. Rene Verdult and brothers Milan and Micha Heyboer are making Drum & Bass since 1995 when they turned to the likes of artists such as Photek, LTJ Bukem, and Ed Rush. While the trio’s music is usually defined as darkstep or neurofunk, Black Sun Empire have more recently incorporated dubstep into their productions (for which they created the Shadows of the Empire imprint.

The breaking point after working very hard and having a few releases on smaller record labels, was when the trio managed to get the attention of bigger producers like DJ Trace, currently known for his DSCI4 record label. Black Sun Empire establishes four labels of their own, namely: Black Sun Empire Recordings, oBSEssions, Shadows of the Empire and most recently Blackout Recordings.

The Black Sun Empire artists are coming to Bulgaria for On!Fest and they have prepared an arsenal of fantastic beats and flare. MIKA managed to squeeze into their busy schedule and get a quick interview.

One is sure: Black Sun Empire are coming so you better get ready – the party is about to start!

MIKA: Hi there! Tell us a little more about you and how you got involved with music in the very beginning. What fascinated you about music?

Black Sun Empire: We have always loved music more than anything. When we came together to make some music. We started with break-beat and techno, like the Prodigy, Underworld, Chemical Brothers etc. But, when we heard Drum and Bass music, we were blown away by it and decided to make that from then on.

Who would you point as a key influence to you?

In the very beginning we were most inspired by Ed Rush and Optical.

What’s it like having three individuals working on a single track? Which is your own favorite track?

I guess for us it’s different then for fans, because as a producer you always think your latest tunes are the best, but some tracks from our first album (like Breach and Arrakis) are still very special for us because that was the most exciting time for us. We don’t have assigned roles as we all are involved in every aspect of the music. Reaching consent is difficult, but somehow it always happens in the end even though some might have a few scratches here and there!

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How was the composing process going when you are working in the studio? When you start working on a new track, how do you know that the track is going good?

That is a tough question because all tunes are made in a different way. Sometimes you hear a sample somewhere and you get an idea, or you want to find out how someone made a certain sound, so you learn how to do that. From there a song evolves, but after a day or sometimes a couple of hours, you know if it’s worth finishing or not!

Who are the artists you want to collaborate most with?

We are really blown away by the talent of some of the new guys. We really want to work with some of those, like Mefjus, Neonlight, Memtrix etc. Of course a tune with Spor would be nice!